'DWTS' eliminated contestant: 'I was ready for it'

After spending time on the bottom of the leader board for two weeks in a row and getting ripped by the judges, Ralph Macchio knew his time on Dancing with the Stars had come to an end. On Monday, he and partner Karina Smirnoff became the latest couple to leave the dance floor.

“With the extra 15 points that Chelsea and Mark gained, between Hines’ and Kirstie’s fan bases and the deficit we were put at with the judges’ scores and comments, I wasn’t quite sure even the biggest fan base out there could have overcome that deficit,” Macchio told reporters after the show. “So I was ready for it.”

Macchio and Smirnoff earned 48 out of 60 points on Monday and only 46 out of 60 last week. Adding insult to the scoring injury were comments by the judges, like Bruno Tonioli’s quip that Macchio was “too rough with your pussy, darling.” (The p-word was ultimately bleeped out of the telecast.)

“They said everything besides the actual words, ‘we don’t want you in the finale,’” Smirnoff said.

What most annoys the pair is how they included tougher, more advanced elements into their routines that never earned kudos from the judges. “I even said to the executive producers, some of the turns we implemented in our dances from day one, the double turns we would synchronize and nail, I never had a comment any of those,” Macchio said. “I was frustrated.”

Macchio and Smirnoff won’t be gone from the dance floor for long: They plan to reprise one of their favorite dances in next week’s finale. As for life after DWTS, Macchio said he’s open to staying on the small screen. “It’s an exciting time now that all the network upfronts are happening and new shows are being picked up and recast,” he said. “Coming off of this could be a very big opportunity. ABC has always been a friendly network. Maybe there’s a nice easy fit to step right in.”